From the composer’s time to our own, a “Schubertiade” is shorthand for a magical night of friendship and music-making, all revolving around the sparkling creations of Franz Schubert.  A contemporary called him “a heaven-inspired clairvoyant who, as it were, simply shook his most glorious things out of his sleeve.” On this episode,, we’ll share with you our own “Schubertiade” – featuring some of the composer’s most glorious confections from the stages of the Heifetz International Music Institute.

This Episode’s Playlist

Franz Schubert: Grand Duo in A Major, D. 574
II. Scherzo. Presto
Chloé Kiffer, violin; Hsin-Chiao Liao, piano
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA | 07.51.2015

Schubert: Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D. 898 
III. Scherzo: Allegro
Erda Trio:
Carlos Arroyo, violín; Nicco Mazziotto, cello; Seth Schultheis, piano
First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA | 07.01.2021

Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667 (“Trout”)
IV. Andantino. Allegretto (Tema con variazioni )
Brian Lewis, violin; Barbara Westphal, viola
Colin Carr, cello; Sam Suggs, bass; Rohan DeSilva, piano
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA | 08.02.2019

Schubert: Rondo Brillant in B Minor, D. 895
Itamar Zorman, violin; Alexander Tentser, piano
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA | 07.17.2016

Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810 “Death & the Maiden” 
Borromeo Quartet:
Nicholas Kitchen, Kristopher Tong, violins; Mai Motobuchi, viola; Yeesun Kim, cello
Samuel Suggs, bass
The Heifetz Band: All 85 students of the 2019 Heifetz International Music Institute
First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA | 08.09.2019

Go Deeper

You can count on Britain’s Classic FM to weigh in with Twenty Facts about Franz Schubert. (Schubertiades come in at No. 7).

How did a tiny trout (the original Schubert song clocks in at just over two minutes) become such a tall fish tale? Read the backstory over how the beloved Trout Quintet came to be!

“Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden sears a haunting image on my psyche that has few equals in music,” writes essayist Terez Rose.  Read the full story here…including the shout-out to our resident Borromeo Quartet  “in a fabulous rendition I recommend watching several times in a row.”